English Explanatory Dictionary

-ic

English dictionary entry

Meanings

suffix
  1. Used to form adjectives from nouns with the meaning “of or pertaining to”.
  2. Used to denote certain chemical compounds in which a specified chemical element has a higher oxidation number than in the equivalent compound whose name ends in the suffix -ous. For example sulphuric acid (H₂SO₄) has more oxygen atoms per molecule than sulphurous acid (H₂SO₃).

Pronunciation

ĭk /ɪk/ /ək/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Persent101--ic.wav

Word forms

-ic more -ic most -ic -ick

Etymology

From Middle English -ik, from Old French -ique, from Latin -icus, from Proto-Indo-European *-kos, *-ḱos, formed with the i-stem suffix *-i- and the adjectival suffix *-kos, *-ḱos. Compare Ancient Greek -ικός (-ikós), Sanskrit -इक (-ika) and Old Church Slavonic -ъкъ (-ŭkŭ). Doublet of -y; compare also -ac. Proto-Indo-European *-kos on noun stems carried the meaning 'characteristic of, like, typical, pertaining to', and on adjectival stems it acted emphatically.

Related words

-adic -ical -ician -ics -al -an -ar -ate -ese -esque -ian -id -ish -like -oid -ory -ous -ship -tion -y
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